Maporomoko Ya Maji

My brother Beda and I walked for 4.5 hours today to go see a waterfall. We ambered down small brownish red dirt roads, through valleys and mountain paths with the constant canopy of arching banana trees framing the road. Living in Seattle, I thought I knew what hills are, but here is truly something amazing. There is no flat ground in sight, and around every peak is either a breathtaking view of the hills and mountains ahead or a view for miles around of the valleys below.

We walked along, and the children shouted "Mzungu! Mzungu!" (White person!) Some of them came up in groups and touched me, then ran back to their friends to exclaim their victory. The groups of women laughed when I greeted them in Swahili and the old men and women held my hand and smiled, saying "my child, how are you my child?"

Everything is beautiful here- the people, the culture, the environment. People are so respectful and caring. I have never seen so many sincere smiles in one place, but ofcourse living here, everyone thinks it is so normal.

One of the teachers told a story about how a friend from another region of Tanzania had come to visit and had gasped in wonder "The mountain! Look at Mount. Kilimanjaro!" Concerned, my teacher turned around and asked "What's wrong with it?!!" worried that it was falling down or had somehow drastically changed. Of course, her friend was just amazed at its beauty, but my teacher is so used to it, she says she doesn't even notice it. My host mom added she would certainly never want to climb it. She says she is confused by why anyone would want to climb it. All that exercise, pain, freezing cold, and when you get to the top, you can't even see the beautiful mountain anymore because you are on it!

:)

-Laura